To Fight or Flee
by bwayfan25
Summary: Some desperately hope for the return of the Avatar who hasn't been seen in over a hundred years. Both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom hope for their own victory in the long war. Toph Beifong just hopes to someday leave her parents behind. AU. T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

"Lady Toph?" the maid whispered softly into the darkness.

"Hnnngh?" came a small moan in response.

The maid chuckled softly as she pushed open the door and lit the lamp nearby.

The room was pretty bare; only a small vanity with a stool and a bed in the center of the room for furniture and almost no decorations.

"Lady Toph, it's nearly ten. You need to get up."

"I'm awake," Toph mumbled. "Isn't that close enough?"

"I'm afraid not."

The seventeen-year-old let out another moan, but sat up nonetheless. Her long dark hair, still full of earth from the previous night's fight, was sticking out in every direction. The blanket fell away from her as she stretched, causing the maid to gasp in surprise.

"What? What is it?" Toph asked quickly, instinctively throwing a foot out from under the covers so it connected with the earthen floor. She couldn't detect any immediate threat…

"Lady Toph you are not wearing your night shirt."

Toph felt her cheeks burn as she yanked the blanket back over herself, forgetting she had skinned off her clothes upon returning to the house and had not bothered to put anything else on.

"I'm so sorry Lin. I-I took it off because I was too warm and couldn't find it again," Toph lied, though the note of apology in her voice made the lie sound more real than usual.

"Uh-huh," Lin said, raising an eyebrow. "How about I fetch your clothes and prepare you a bath? You have to be presentable today. If you bathe quickly, perhaps we can attend to your cuts before doing your hair."

 _Dammit she saw them_.

As Lin stepped into the closet to pick out Toph's clothes for the day, the Earthbender cursed under her breath.

Not at Lin. Never about Lin. The maid had been by her side since birth, and never once had she ever felt any animosity towards the caring woman. When she was younger, she liked to believe that Lin was her _real_ mother, citing only that the care Lin gave her was the kind a mother should give.

No, she was not cursing Lin. She was cursing herself.

The Earthbending battle she fought in last night had been particularly brutal. She had won, of course, but it came at a bit of a cost. Her main competitors had been a set of twins who would use acrobatics while they Earthbended. She had nearly been caught off guard when one had climbed onto the other's shoulders. They lifted their boulders from the ground at the exact same moment, and then one twin would break theirs into small pieces and pelt her incessantly while the other battled with the boulder. She won by getting a small boulder in under the bottom twin's foot while they picked up more ammunition, causing both twins to hit the ground hard. From there it was just a little flick and they were both out.

The cost, however, was the physical effects of the fight. Barely anyone could touch her in battle, which made keeping her secret life far easier, but the twin that kept flicking the little bits of rock at her had managed more damage than she had originally thought. Distracted by their sibling's boulder, she had been unable to stop all the little bits from knocking her around.

Upon returning to her room after the fight, she took off her dirty clothes and hid them in a hole in the floor before collapsing into bed. This morning, Toph cursed herself for not putting on something before falling asleep, as Lin was sure to have seen the numerous small cuts and bruises across her chest and arms.

"Here you are, my dear," Lin said softly as she returned to the room. She sat a neatly folded dress on the bed directly in front of Toph. "You need to get father is having another suitor for you to meet in an hour. You must be ready."

"I don't want to meet any suitors. Not today, not ever."

"I understand. However, your father-"

"I know, I know," Toph groaned.

"Perhaps afterwards, I can convince him to allow us to go into the city for a little while," Lin offered.

"Why do assume I will not be engaged by the end of the luncheon?" Toph asked, doing her best to look affronted. Lin only chuckled.

"Perhaps because every suitor so far has been run off. I believe the total is up to fourteen, with every single one complaining of some unusual things happening to the floor every time they attempt to talk to you."

Toph smirked.

"I will draw you a bath. Your robe is on the ground on the right hand side of your bed. I recommend you put it on."

This time, it was Lin who smirked as she stepped into the bathroom, which was adjacent to the closet. Toph felt her go. Taking a deep breath, Toph picked up her fallen robe and slipped it on.

After a quick bath (which given the amount of dirt that was still on her person was simply mud by the time she was clean) Toph sat at the stool and allowed Lin to brush out her hair. No one except for her maid was allowed to touch her. Anyone else who tried found themselves suddenly pushed backwards by an unseen force they couldn't explain.

"Alright, my dear," Lin said as she pulled Toph's long dark hair up into a bun. "I'm done. And just in the nick of time. I'm sure your father and his guests are waiting for you."

Toph tapped her foot on the ground. Sure enough, in the living room on the other side of the house, her father and two men stood in close proximity,, her mother in the nearby kitchen talking to the cook.

"I hear this young man is very smart," Lin said as she and Toph walked down the hallway towards the living room.

"That's what father has said about every boy they've dragged in here," Toph replied quietly. "And he's yet to be correct."

Lin smirked. Once they had reached the living room, Lin hung back to let her ward enter first.

"Hello ladies. May I introduce you to Bo Huang and his father Bao. Gentlemen, this is my daughter Toph and her handmaiden Lin."

"Spirits, what's wrong with her eyes?" the young man Bo exclaimed loudly.

 _What's wrong with my eyes? What's wrong with your tiny little-_

"Uh, well. I did warn you," Lao Beifong said with a nervous laugh. "She has been blind since birth. But she is a wonderful young lady, I assure you. Demure and proper, just like a lady should be."

It took Toph a lot of effort not to snort at her father's comment.

"The chef has informed me that lunch is ready," Toph's mother Poppy said from off to Toph's right. "Shall we make our way into the dining room?"

There was a mutter of agreement from the group. Lao and Poppy graciously led Bao in first. Before he exited the room, Bao made eye contact with Bo and jerked his head towards Toph.

Bo rolled his eyes and begrudgingly lifted an arm to escort her into the dining room. Toph didn't move. Bo's cheeks burned red as he remembered she couldn't see.

Of course, Toph knew he did this. She almost chuckled as she felt his vibrations move as he shifted uncomfortably, trying to determine his next move. Smirking, she stepped forward without him and led herself into the dining room.


	2. Chapter 2

"And the Earthbender said 'that's not a rock… that's my wife!'"

The table, or rather everyone at the table save for Toph, laughed politely at Bao's joke. Toph didn't hear it, as she was currently focused on slowly pushing a pointed piece of earth up through the sole of Bo's shoe without him noticing.

"So…" Bao said as the laughter died down. "Lord Beifong. Shall we retire to the living room to discuss the possibility of marriage?"

"Ah yes of course," Lao said, with a quiver of nervousness in his voice. "Lin, why don't you show Toph and Bo to the music room? Perhaps she can show him some of her musical talent."

"Of course, Lord Beifong," Lin said with a small nod.

Bo shot his father a look, but Bao just frowned. Rolling his eyes, he followed Lin and Toph out of the door towards the music room.

"What are you offering as a dowry?" Bao asked, getting straight to the point.

"I had planned on 25,000 gold pieces."

"25,000?" Bao asked. He ran a hand back and forth across his chin as he thought. "Under normal circumstances that would be suitable. But if she really is as helpless as you claim, then I will spend far more than that for the maids and servants necessary to help her. Perhaps we could negotiate?"

"She has come a long way, I promise you," Lao assured him. "Perhaps I was too, uh, detailed in my description of her strengths and faults. I _recommend_ that she be taken care of, but that is purely up to you."

"That sounds like you're changing your story so that you don't have to give up any more money." Bao raised an eyebrow. "You've so far been very adamant about your daughter's condition and care."

"I-I… well…."

Lao's brow furrowed.

"Perhaps the Beifong family does not have as much money as they so like to brag?" Bao smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Lao paled.

"Of course not…" Lao shook his head. "Perhaps we can negotiate a little bit more…"

* * *

"So like… can you _do_ anything?" Bo asked Toph quietly as Lin took out musical instruments from a cabinet across the room.

"Can you?"

Bo looked taken aback.

"Um… of course I can? I read and write. Plan strategy. And I'm a rather gifted Earthbender," Bo said smugly. "I bet you've never seen a real Earthbender before."

"I can't say I've seen _anything_ before, Mister Huang."

Bo frowned and shifted uncomfortably.

"Lady Toph, how about you show Mister Huang your skills on the konghou?" Lin suggested.

"Of course," Toph replied in a bored voice.

Lin placed the harp in her Toph's hands.

"Perhaps you should sit on the ground, Mister Huang," Toph suggested. "I've found that it enhances the music I play. Plus, as an Earthbender, you must love the dirt."

"I… I guess."

Bo stood for a second, considering how he really did not enjoy dirt at all (especially not in his nice tunic), but he sat down nonetheless.

Toph placed the harp on her lap and started plucking the strings. Despite her annoyance of the lunch, her father, and the would-be suitor, playing music was always relaxing to her. As her fingers gently played the tune, she could see the strings play in a way no other musicians she knew of could.

She tapped her foot gently to keep time, but as Bo started to fidget on the floor, she tapped her foot harder. Once in awhile, she sent a little piece of earth up from the ground... right under Bo.

The first time, he jumped nearly a foot off the ground. When he dropped to the floor again, he looked around trying to figure out what it was.

"Wha-?"

"What's wrong Mister Huang?" Lin asked from her chair in the far corner.

"N-nothing," Bo said confusedly.

Toph continued to play. Once Bo's heart rate returned to normal, Toph tapped her foot harder again.

"What _was_ that?" he yelled, jumping to his feet. "Y-you did something."

Toph stopped playing and put on her most innocent expression.

"Whatever are you talking about Mister Huang?" Toph asked.

"You-you did something to the floor. You-you poked me or something. I felt it."

"I've been sitting right here playing. You've watched me," Toph said, staring directly at him.

Bo jumped to his feet, his eyes full of fear and confusion as he looked between Toph and her maid.

"I'm-I'm… stop looking at me like that," Bo snapped at Toph.

"I assure you that I'm not looking at you," Toph replied gently as she forced her mouth not to curl into a smirk.

She tapped her foot again, causing a small rock to pop out under his foot, which caught him off guard. He stumbled backwards. In an attempt to catch himself, he tried to steady himself with his own Earthbending, but Toph was quicker. She sent another piece of rock underneath him and he hit the ground.

"Th-that's it. I'm-I'm leaving."

Bo ran for the door. It swung open wide. Lin and Toph both smirked before following him calmly down the hall.

"Father! Father!" Bo shouted as he ran down the hallway and back into the living room.

"Bo what in spirit's name are you-"

"Father we must leave. I can't marry her. I just can't."

"Please Mister Huang, calm down-" Lao began before Bo cut him off.

"No. I'm sorry Lord Beifong but I can't marry her. There's- there's something strange about her. I can't marry her."

"Please Mister Huang," Lao said, trying to calm him. "Surely there has been some kind of misunderstanding-"

"No. There's not," Bo said firmly. "She-she is strange and she creeps me out. I-I can't marry her. I'm sorry father."

With that, Bo turned on his heel and ran out of the front door into the garden.

For a moment, the two fathers, the maid, and Toph stood for a moment in silence. Lao stared at the open door left behind by Bo, his mouth agape.

"Well," Bao said, clapping his hands together. "You heard the boy. There will be no engagement."

"I'll increase the dowry," Lao blurted. "Ten percent. Fifteen percent. T-twenty percent. I'll give you twenty percent more on the dowry."

"No need, though disappointed it took dire straights to coax you into negotiation."

"Please Bao-Mister Huang. We can work this out. I'm sure it was nothing. Maybe just a misunderstanding. Please. Don't leave."

"My son is not the kind to make a mountain out of a badgermole hill. If he thought there was something strange about your daughter, then I trust his instincts," Bao stated firmly. "Thank you for your hospitality Lord Beifong. Give your wife my best."

Bao bowed to Lao and then to Toph and then followed his son out out of the house and into the afternoon that was growing darker as clouds rolled in from over the mountain.

Once he was down the path and out of sight, Lin stepped forward to close the door. Immediately, Lao turned on Toph.

"What did you do?"

"What are you talking-"

"Answer me child," Lao spat. "What did you do to that boy?"

"Father I assure you I didn't do anything to him," Toph protested.

" _Don't lie to me_."

Toph froze. Her father's tone, though often firm, rarely sounded so icy and harsh. Tears began to well in her eyes.

"I-I d-didn't-"

"Lin, take her to your room. I don't want to see you again until dinner."

Lin nodded before placing an arm around Toph and leading her back down the hallway.

"Sometimes I don't even know if you're worth all this."


	3. Chapter 3

Lin did not relinquish her grip on her ward until Toph was safely back in her bedroom.

"What a silly boy. You were right, my dear. Not smart at all. Can't even recognize another Earthbender when she poked him in the rear. Spirits, what's the world coming to?"

"You can go, Lin. I don't need any help."

"I am not leaving you alone, my dear," Lin said as she closed the door behind them.

Toph took a seat on the bed. The tears that had welled in her eyes were flowing freely now.

"Ugh," she scowled, rubbing the tears from her face. "This is stupid. I don't care what they think. I know who I am."

"Oh my little turtle-duck," Lin said softly, wrapping an arm around Toph as she too took a seat on the bed. "That doesn't mean you cannot get hurt. The two are not incongruent."

"It means I'm weak."

"No it doesn' means they found a place to push," Lin reassured her. "Think of the walls you build when you battle. Your big defensive earthen walls. They are strong and solid, but they are not perfect. Sometimes things get through. And that doesn't make you a bad Earthbender. It just means that your opponent found a spot to break through."

Lin hugged Toph tighter to her. The girl's tears soaked through her dress, just as they had several times throughout her life.

"Nothing is impenetrable, my dear. Not even Ba Sing Se."

"He called me creepy," she whispered. "Am-am I creepy?"

"No, no, of course not my dear. He was threatened by your _strength_. You make a lot of eye contact, something many, many seeing people are too afraid to do at all. To him, that eye contact is a sign of power. He felt threatened by you because he does not posses the same power you do. And he never, ever will."

Toph sat up and wiped her eyes again.

"Thank you Lin. I-I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't bother yourself about that, my turtle-duck. You will have me for a good long time yet."

Lin took Toph's hand and squeezed it. She looked into Toph's eyes for a moment, then sighed and stood from the bed.

"Lin?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I think I need to meditate."

Lin's shoulders dropped.

"Are you sure my dear? Can you not wait and go tomorrow?"

Toph shook her head. She wiped her eyes one final time and stood up.

"No. I need to go today. To go now. I need to clear my head and that's the only thing that will do it."

"But-" Lin dropped her voice for fear of being overheard. "I understand that it is important to you. But can you not rest for one day? Let your muscles relax. Let your wounds heal…"

"They aren't wounds. They're just cuts," Toph muttered.

"Well, whatever they are you don't want to get them dirty. We spent a long time cleaning them up," Lin said. She brushed a strand of hair from Toph's face. " Maybe you could _actually_ meditate, huh? Rest and focus your mind and body today and then return tomorrow. Can't they live without the Blind Bandit for just one day's match?"

Toph sighed. This time it was her who wrapped her arms around Lin.

"I'll-I'll rest tomorrow. I'll go today and I'll rest tomorrow. I promise."

Lin squeezed her ward and then let go.

"Fine. Of course I cannot stop you. At least, I never have been able to before," Lin chuckled. She cleared her throat and stood up straighter. "I'll leave you alone to prepare for your meditation, Lady Toph. Shall you require anything, I will be in my quarter's right next door."

Lin bowed, but smiled. She turned and left the room. Closing the door behind her, she paused for a moment, pretending to tap something off of the bottom of her shoe to cover the sound of the young Earthbender retrieving her battle clothes from their hiding place within the floor. Once the familiar sound of the earth opening and closing had ceased, Lin smiled once more and continued down the hall.

"Lin?" a woman's voice said. Lin looked up.

Poppy Beifong came out of the nearby door to the library. Her brow was furrowed and she looked like she might have been crying.

"Hello Lady Beifong," Lin said with another bow.

"May I speak to Toph?"

"Unfortunately not my lady," Lin replied. "She was rather upset and decided it would be best if she meditated for a few hours. She wished not to be disturbed. Besides, Lord Beifong said he did not wish to see her again until dinner, so I assume she will go into one of her deeper meditations. And when aroused from those, she gets _very_ touchy. I would not recommend it."

"Even for her mother?"

 _Especially for her mother_.

She shook her head.

"Her meditation is important to her. No one should arouse her from it. It interrupts her and causes great distress. But shall she fetch me sooner than expected, I will be sure to tell her you wish to see her."

"Oh. Okay," Poppy said sadly. "Thank you Lin."

"Of course my lady."

* * *

Toph slid her foot back, revealing a small hole in the ground. She slid off her dress and threw it unceremoniously on the bed. She picked up her tunic and pants from the hole and put them on.

She heard the muffled sound of Lin tapping her shoe on the ground, and took it as a signal to open her secret tunnel under the house. She slid her foot back again, harder this time, and jumped into the larger hole that opened up. She brought her hands together over her head and closed the hole above her.

She walked for exactly one hundred and three steps until she was out from beneath her parent's property before starting to propel herself forward on the earth beneath her.

As she glided forward on her earthen skis, she tried to clear the words from her head. It was not the first time such words had been used against her, and in a way she was used to it. But every so often, they just… stuck around.

Toph skidded to a halt underneath the Earthbending arena, nearly missing it as she was so far in her head. Frustrated at herself for nearly missing her stop, she raised her hands and roughly moved the earth apart before raising the earth beneath her up to the surface.

"Good. You're here," Xin Fu said as Toph broke the surface. "I was worried you weren't going to be and we'd have to put The Boulder in as the last match."

Toph didn't respond, but rather just grunted as she shuffled her way past the a small crowd of Earthbenders to the far side wall. She waved her hand down sharply and a slab popped out like a bench.

Toph rolled her head back and forth to stretch her neck as Xin Fu shot himself up to the center of the ring on a block of Earth.

"Welcome..." his voice boomed. "To the Battle of the Boulders!"

The crowd, rather large for a mid-day match, roared their approval.

"Today marks the next match for our fighters as they work their way towards a spot in this year's Earth Rumble. We have a single elimination style system, each fighter seeded ahead of time. If you win, you go on. If you lose… well…"

Xin Fu laughed loudly, causing another roar of the crowd.

"First challengers… The Gecko versus The Big Bad Hippo."

The crow roared once more. A bell rung somewhere overhead and the fight began.

Toph pulled her feet up under her knees as she waited for her turn. She was first seed, as usual, so her fight wouldn't be until the very end. Normally she'd hang around the crowd of fighters, talking smack and watching the fight to pinpoint different weaknesses.

Toph was so lost in her thoughts that she barely recognized it was her turn to fight until a kid ran up to her and tugged on her tunic. Without a second thought, Toph stomped on the ground, just as the vibrations of the last loser showed her them being thrown from the stage.

"And now ladies and gentlemen," Xin Fu's voice boomed across the arena. "The Graveler, who came from behind in the second round, will face our defending champion who is not only the defending champion of the Battle of the Boulder, but also the defender of the whole Earthbending Triple Crown! Yes, that is right ladies and gentlemen. We present to you the defending champion of the Battle of the Boulder, the Rock on the Block and Earth Rumble VI... the Blind Bandit!"

The crowd roared as Toph lifted a pillar of earth up to the fighting stage. Toph waved, her head held high as she walked towards the center of the ring.

"I am The Graveler," a bulky man in front of her yelled. "Though they should call me The Gaveler because I am gonna pound. You. Down."

"Huh," Toph replied in her mocking fighter voice. "I think they should call you The Groveler. That way the audience is prepared for what you'll do when you're gonna lose."

"Ha! I don't lose!" The Graveler announced triumphantly.

"Neither do I. But only one of us has the record to prove that."

"Just fight already!" yelled the voice of a little old lady somewhere in the crowd.

"Let's just give the audience what they want," Toph said. "Since it's your first battle, you can have the first shot. Newcomer's special."

The Graveler looked a bit taken aback, but smiled nonetheless.

"Well, if you insist."

Down below, all the seasoned Earthbenders put their faces in their hands and shook their head knowingly.

"The Boulder feels bad for the new guy as The Boulder knows that was a rookie mistake."

The Graveler, unaware of this collective warning, raised his leg, preparing to strike. Toph sensed this, and immediately swept his leg out from under him.

He hit the ground facedown with immense force, making his vibration stronger. Toph raised a hand to deliver the final strike, but stopped at the last second.

"What's this?" announced Xin Fu's voice loudly to the crowd. "The Blind Bandit has The Graveler in position to finish him off and defend her title and she's holding! What's going on?"

"Not as good an Earthbender as you think?" The Graveler spat as he struggled back to his feet.

"No. That's not it. I just realized…" Toph smiled again. "I really want to see you grovel."

Before The Graveler had the chance to consider her words, a hole opened up beneath him. It closed around him as he fell in, restraining his arms but not crushing him.

"Okay so you trapped me in a hole," The Graveler said. "That's not gonna make me grovel."

"Oh, but isn't it?"

Toph slowly slid her foot sideways. The hole began creeping closer in on The Graveler, tightening around him.

"Whatever. Just a little tight. No problem. I can deal with this. It's nothing."

"Mmmm… not good enough."

Toph slid her foot farther. The Graveler started to feel it press up against his ribs and spine.

"Okay. A little tight but nothing too bad. Maybe you could stop now, but I can handle it even if you don't."

"Mmmm… not good enough," Toph said again.

She lifted her foot momentarily to give herself room to slide it again. The Graveler started to breathe heavier as the hole got tighter. Pain was starting to shoot through his chest.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You win, you win. Please just knock me out I can't take it anymore. Please, please, please."

The hole stopped moving. The Graveler struggled against the hole once more to no avail.

"Eh… Good enough."

With a flurry of movements so fast, the crowd nor The Graveler had time to recognize it, Toph lifted herself up on a rock pillar twenty feet in the air. She jumped off, releasing The Graveler from his hole and pushing him up to the surface just as she hit the ground. With one final shot, she flung him off the back of the stage.

The crowd sat frozen for a moment, processing what had happened, before erupting into their loudest cheers yet. Xin Fu dropped to the stage and lifted Toph's arm into the air in triumph.

"And defending her title, this year's Battle of the Boulder champion is The Blind Bandit!"

The crowd roared again, the vibrations of their raucous cheering so distracting that Toph was could not even try to listen to Xin Fu's following announcements. His grip on her wrist was too strong to break free of without struggle, so Toph let her mind wander as he continued to announce on her behalf.

But something was changing. The vibrations, which already were so strong, were growing strong. Xin Fu stopped speaking, or at the very least his voice was lost to the crowd.

Toph jerked out of her trance. She felt the grip of Xin Fu's hand loosen and she jerked from his grip. She stomped hard, trying to figure out why the vibrations had changed.

"Fire Nation! Fire Nation attack! They've already taken the Beifong house!" a voice shouted from the crowd.

The vibrations grew even stronger, but that didn't matter to Toph. Without so much as a second thought, Toph leapt of the platform. She landed on the ground and tore open a tunnel in the wall and pushed forward on a rock sled, barely even remembering to close the tunnel behind her.

As she moved so fast down the tunnel, she couldn't focus on the vibrations to tell where she was. Luckily, the Fire Nation fighters above her rode beasts strong enough to shake the entire tunnel.

She stopped the sled and punched the wall of the tunnel. She could see the beasts moving around above her as well as the stone wall of her parents property.

With a sharp move of her hands, the earth opened up above her, causing one of the beast to fall in part way and get stuck. Taking a step back, Toph did the movement again and opened another hole before pushing a pillar of earth up to the surface.

With a stomp, she saw the scene. About five members, all traveling on huge beasts, were riding around, bending what Toph assumed were fireballs in the direction of the Beifong house. Toph immediately began throwing boulders towards whatever rider was closest to her, popping in and out of holes in order to avoid their shots.

"We've got an attacker! An Earthbender! Stop attacking the house and get her!"

 _Shoot._

Toph dropped into a hole and closed it over head. Even without her seismic sense, Toph could feel the vibrations overhead as the Fire Nation raiders moved around looking for her.

Breathing heavy, Toph paused, leaning against the wall as she worked to catch her breath. She focused on the vibrations within the house.

In total, there would have been thirteen heartbeats in the house. Her parents, herself, and ten servants.

She located a large group of people that included her parents huddled in a stone bunker beneath the kitchen. Others were hiding in closets or beneath the stairs.

Toph focused as hard as she could, looking for the one heartbeat that stood out more than any others. The heartbeat that often skipped beats. The heartbeat that meant more to her than any others. Lin's heartbeat.

She found it. Lin was in her quarters next to Toph's room. Toph almost breathed a sigh of relief until she realized something that plunged ice into her stomach.

The heartbeat she held so dear to her was fading.


	4. Chapter 4

At once Toph surged forward down the tunnel.

It wasn't more than thirty seconds before she was underneath her own room. With a punch, she cleared rock from the left side of the tunnel so that she could get to Lin's room. Not bothering to clear her tracks, she burst up through the floor and landed at Lin's side.

Lin lay on her back, blood streamingly steadily from a deep gash in her side. All around, furniture had been smashed or lit aflame. Toph, ignoring all potential danger in being around such destruction made by attackers who could potentially return, knelt by Lin's side.

"Lin," Toph croaked, fumbling for Lin's hand, her own hands shaky with fear. "Lin, I'm here."

"My dear," Lin whispered. She smiled ever so slightly, though her eyes were still filled with pain. "My dear, I am dying."

"No. No you're not," Toph squeaked. "You're not. I'll get you help. We'll-we'll stop the bleeding. It'll be okay-"

"No, my dear. It's alright," Lin said.

With a great deal of effort, she lifted one hand up to Toph's face. Toph's raised her own hand to cover her caretaker's. They could both feel the tears now streaming down Toph's face.

"Who-who did this to you? I'll find them and, and I'll make them-"

"No, my turtle duck," Lin said with a slight air of scolding in her soft tone. "Do not seek revenge on my behalf. Should you choose to stay and fight, do so only to protect the others. If you choose to fight with revenge in your heart, you may very well lose control."

Lin's breath was fading. Toph could feel it in the vibrations.

"Toph…"

"Yes? I'm here. I'm here. I'm not leaving you…"

"I know that, my dear. But you may well leave here," Lin said slowly. "You can stay and fight to rebuild a life here, or you can flee and seek your life elsewhere. Either way, you must make a choice."

"But, but I don't want to…" Toph whispered, her tears now flowing stronger than ever.

"No one wants to choose, my turtle duck. But at some point we all reach crossroads such as these. This very well may be your chance to start anew."

Lin's heartbeat and breath were slowing faster and faster. It was as if Toph could sense the life draining from her.

"I love you, my turtle duck," Lin whispered. "Whatever you choose, may you never forget that."

If she could have, Toph would have flown away. She would have jumped higher than she ever had before. She'd have launched herself into the sky and stayed there, if it meant that she didn't have to see Lin die.

But alas, she was still kneeling on the earth beside her beloved maid, still holding her hand to her own face.

And there, on the ground, Toph could see everything. And it was there, on the ground, where she saw Lin's heartbeat fade for good.

* * *

Eventually, whether fought off by the Gaoling Earthbending militia, Beifong estate guards, or simply because they had collected all the riches they cared to, the Fire Nation raiders retreated.

Poppy was the first to be distressed as she, her husband,

"Who has Toph? Who was with her? Did someone get her away from them?" she said, panicked, as she ran from servant to servant. "Did someone check her room?"

"Yes ma'am," a guard nodded. "She was not there, ma'am."

"What about Lin's room?" Poppy said, turning to face a larger group of servants and guards. "Has anyone checked there?"

The servants and guards looked back and forth between each other. No one answered.

"Well?"

"Lin is… Lin is dead, ma'am," a servant answered. "And your daughter was not with her."

Poppy let out a large sob and collapsed into her nearby husband's arms.

"They've taken her," she wept. "S-she's gone."

Lao let Poppy cry for a moment before gently transferring her to a servant so he could go in the room and see it for himself.

"Sir, there does not appear to be a fight. It's very possible they took her during her deep meditation," one of the guards said.

Lao took Poppy back into his arms.

"S-she p-probably d-didn't even know what was h-happening. P-poor T-T-Toph," Poppy sobbed.

Inches beneath the floor where Lin lay, Toph listened.

 _You can stay and fight to rebuild a life here, or you can flee and seek your life elsewhere._

Lin's words bounced through Toph's head.

Her parents had no faith in her. They would never have any faith in her.

But could she leave them? Could she leave them behind, letting them believe she was taken by force? Could she hurt them like that?

 _You can stay and fight to rebuild a life here, or you can flee and seek your life elsewhere._

The words kept repeating.

Lin had told her to make a choice. She could stay or leave.

But then, as if Lin was there again with her, speaking to her, she could hear the words left unsaid.

 _What life do you have here?_

Toph touched the wall, feeling the vibrations of the group above her. Her mother was still crying, her father giving the guards and servants directions to begin rebuilding.

"I'm sorry."

And without another thought, Toph turned and began making a new tunnel out from the grounds.

She followed it for miles and miles, until her feet grew tired and her vision blurry. She punched the roof of the tunnel, and opened a hole to climb out.

As she lay down on the grounds in the woods, she willed her mind to go quiet. She lifted her feet off the ground in order to disconnect from the world.

A second too soon, she would quickly learn, for if she had waited just a moment longer, she'd have seen the footsteps rapidly approaching her camp.


	5. Chapter 5

"I say we take them captive," a man whispered to his chief from behind a bush back a short ways in the woods. "Whoever they are, they're asleep. They'll put up less of a fight."

"We cannot allow them to wake, Hakoda," a man on the other side of the chief replied. "We do not know from where they came. What if they're Fire Nation?"

"Why would they be Fire Nation?" the first man, the chief's son Sokka pointed out. "We're deep in the Earth Kingdom. They're probably just a traveling peddler or something. I say leave them be."

"After hearing of that Fire Nation raid? We should not take any chances," the other man Bato responded tersely.

"Dad- I mean Chief. Surely you aren't going to attack some unarmed person sleeping in the woods on the _off chance_ they could be a Firebender. Even if they are, that's… that's just not right."

Hakoda stared out into the clearing. A single beam of moonlight shone through the trees, casting shadows over the small figure curled up on the ground.

"I'm sorry Sokka. But it's a risk we can't take right now," Hakoda said quietly. "Bato, ready the men. Start with a long range attack before moving in for combat. Hopefully we won't need anymore than that."

Bato nodded grimly, and slipped away. Sokka stared at his father as he listened to the hushed orders from Bato to the other men.

Even had Toph's feet been on the ground, it was unlikely she would have seen the first boomerang thrown. It hit a tree just past where she lay.

Immediately, she jerked awake. Scrambling to her feet, she stomped hard on the dirt. For the second time that day, she found herself amidst the scene of attack.

A group of men, maybe ten or twelve, had encircled her small camp. Many were armed, but the weapons they were armed with were unusual. Not Earth Kingdom by any means.

Toph lifted a chunk of rock from the ground and launched it forward towards the closest attacker. It made contact with one man who hid behind a bush. But just as her attack made contact, one of the unfamiliar weapons came flying out from behind her. She threw up an earthen wall as she heard something in the air, but something strange happened.

One of the weapons flew past her head, whistling as it went by. But then, just as she thought it was past her, it turned midair and flew by the other side of her head. Stunned, but not willing to show it, she shot up walls all around her as she tried to get her bearings.

"The boomerangs aren't working. Move in, move in," a man's voice barked from behind the bushes.

Toph stomped again. The men were moving forward towards her from all directions, all brandishing their weapons. Boomerangs, as their leader called them.

Toph stomped boulders up out of the ground and kicked them towards the oncoming warriors in a strategic way, lowering one wall at a time to keep her defense as strong as possible. So far it was working. She didn't work from a pattern, just throwing down walls at random, launching her attack, and picking it back up before they had a chance to recover.

But Sokka, who had lingered back, decided to take a chance. Though he felt the whole attack unjustified, he threw his trusted boomerang, if only to prove he took some part. He wanted more than anything to prove to his father that he was as mighty a warrior as any of the older men, but a full tribe attack on a single sleeping person, Fire Nation or not, did not seem right.

The boomerang flew threw the air, and, as luck would have it, it made it's way towards its intended target just as the Earthbender dropped the earthen wall in Sokka's direction. It whistled past her and pulled a tight curve.

 _Whack_.

The boomerang connected with back of Toph's head as it curved. She stumbled forwards, the walls dropping as she did so. As she felt herself dip into unconsciousness, a sharp pain slashed down her back.

She fell to her knees, the vibrations growing fuzzier, even through her direct contact with the ground. She wobbled for a moment before hitting the ground. Something warm dripped down her arm as unconsciousness fell over her and she could think no more.

* * *

Breathing.

That what the first thing Toph could think of as she slowly woke up.

 _Breathe in… and breathe out…_

She focused on her breath as she regained consciousness.

"Hnnnghh…." she moaned.

Groggily, she threw out a hand, trying to touch the wall she assumed was nearby wherever she lay.

"Don't move around too much," a man's voice instructed gently. "You don't want to disrupt the bandages."

"Whaa?" Toph moaned.

Suddenly, pain shot down the right side of her back. She made a sound as it surged through her. Thick, scratchy bandages lay over the wound.

"You got knocked out and as you went down one of our tribe kind of got in a parting shot. Nothing _too_ deep, but still not fun. My sister's a Waterbender though, and she went up to the Northern Water Tribe last year and learned their healing arts. Once we get back, I'll have her take a look at you."

Trying (and failing) not to let out anymore moans, Toph found the wall.

Nothing. No vibrations whatsoever.

"Is this...wood?" Toph said slowly. "Where-where are we?"

"Yeah, it's wood. We're on a boat."

"Going where exactly?" Toph asked.

"Southern Water Tribe," Sokka replied. "You're kind of our captive. Sorry about that by the way."

Toph tapped the wall again, even though she knew there was no point.

"What are you doing there? Looking for something?" Sokka said with a chuckle. "You didn't really have anything with you. I brought what we found at your site, but it's not much."

Slowly, with the young man's help, Toph sat up. She put both feet on the ground. Though she could not feel vibrations through the wood, she could feel the rocking of the boat as a whole.

"Ugh.. I can't see," Toph muttered.

"Let me see if there's any glasses in here or anything-"

"No, no. I can't _see_."

Sokka paused, his mind trying to put the pieces together. .

"You can't see?" he said slowly. Then it hit him. "You can't _see_. Spirits, you can't see! And I hit you in the back of the head with a boomerang. I blinded you!"

"Calm down, calm down. I was blind _before_ you hit me in the back of the head with a boomerang," Toph said, gently rubbing a hand over the back of her head. "Though that certainly didn't help."

"Oh," Sokka aid relaxing. Toph heard him release a deep breath. "Oh good. I mean...uh, well…"

Toph smirked. This boy, whoever he was, reminded her of one of the suitors her father had her meet. He had been jumpier than the others, and worked hard to make sure she was taken care of the entire time he visited, but in a way unlike her parents. A way that made her feel like he cared; like he didn't want to see any harm come to her and he _meant_ it.

That boy had been one suitor that wouldn't have been absolutely terrible to marry, in Toph's opinion. In fact, she rather liked him. But their father's disagreed on the dowry and the boy's father ended up leaving in a huff, thus ending their relationship.

Toph sighed. That life seemed so far away now.

"Where are you from?" Sokka asked, trying to break the silence that had fallen. "I'm from the Southern Water Tribe, but I said that already. And I'm Sokka. Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. I don't think I had said that. My name, that is. I've said the other part several times now."

"I'm-" Toph began, but she stopped.

Should she tell this boy the truth? He did, after all, hit her in the back of the head with a boomerang. But he also had been sitting with her while she was unconscious, and had probably been the one who had tended to her wounds. Surely he couldn't be that bad… right?

"I'm Toph," the Earthbender said. "Just Toph."

"What were you doing sleeping in the woods, Just Toph?"

"I was running away from Fire Nation raiders. They-they attacked my family. My whole town. I… I had to get away," Toph replied. The full force of her words hit her as she said them. "You said I'm your captive?"

"Yeah. In our defense, we didn't know who you were and you did start attacking us as soon as we…"

"Started attacking me," Toph finished. "Because I had just run from attackers, I had no idea who you all were, and you had me surrounded. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Fair enough," Sokka said. "Wait… how did you know we had you surrounded? And how did you attack us with such… accuracy. If-if you can't see?"

"I can feel vibrations through the ground. Through my Earthbending. Not on this stuff, unfortunately," Toph said, scowling as she stomped a foot on the wood. "Or anything that isn't stone or dirt. Anything that isn't some kind of earth."

"Oh. Well that might be a problem…" Sokka muttered.

"And why is that, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Because we're headed to the South Pole, which is completely made out of ice."


	6. Chapter 6

The Earth Kingdom had been known to have a good cold snap once or twice a year, but this was a whole new level of cold.

Toph was huddled underneath a blanket made out of some kind of animal fur. She had left her parent's house in Gaoling wearing only her bending clothes, which were suitable for Earthbending in temperate fall weather, but not to the South Pole.

She tried to turn over, and, after the initial pain of her back wound had subsided, she found she was no long on the wooden bed platform in the boat but in some place made of ice. There was another pelt on the floor directly beneath the platform, but the floor around it was dirt covered ice.

There was something comforting about the dirt. Something... familiar. But even if Toph had been willing to come out from the covers to bend the dirt, it felt wrong. This was somebody's house, or at least she thought it was (the dirt not easy to see in so thinly spread over the icy surface). And even if she didn't mind messing things up in her own house, it didn't feel right to mess somebody else's house up. At least... not until she knew more about them.

"Oh good. You're awake," a female voice said from across the room. "We were beginning to worry."

"Uh... where's Sokka?"

"He's meeting with our father right now," the girl replied as she crossed to where Toph lay. "He'll be out soon. In the mean time, he wanted me to take a look at your back. I'm Katara. And you are Toph, right?"

"I'm not used to waking up in places I'm not familiar with. That's what I am," Toph grumbled.

"I can imagine."

"Are you all aware of how freaking cold it is down here?" Toph said, willing her teeth not to chatter.

"Yes," Katara chuckled. "We're used to it though so it doesn't bother us much. Once I'm done with the healing, we can get you some new clothes."

Toph groaned as Katara stepped up to the bed.

"Can you lay flat on your stomach for me?"

Toph obliged, still under the blanket. That was short lived though, for as soon as Toph turned over, Katara yanked the pelts off of her. Before Toph could even yelp at the sudden exposure, Katara pulled up the back of Toph's tunic. It struck Toph that she had not been wearing any bindings under her bending clothes so the Sokka guy and now his sister could probably see more of her than she'd like to show off.

Katara started working the bandages off, unwinding them quickly at first and then slower as she neared the wound. With a final gentle tug, she pulled off the bandage over the wound. With it came the scab, and Toph hissed as blood began to trickle from the wound afresh.

Pulling off the top of the vessel she carried strapped to her side, Katara pulled out a stream of water and placed it over the wound on Toph's back. She closed her eyes and focused the water until it started to glow.

"So. My brother says you're an Earth Kingdom traveler. Have you gotten to see much of the Earth Kingdom?"

"Can't say I've seen much of anything."

"I understand," Katara said softly.

"You... do?"

"I do. Sokka may have told you this, but I learned how to heal by traveling up to the Northern Water Tribe last year. I learned a lot while I was there, but I didn't get to see much. I- we had gone up there with my father for, you know, war stuff. Building alliances and all that. I happened to get the chance to learn some bending forms and healing while we were there but not much else." Katara's face fell. "I'm the last Waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe. My mother died protecting me from the Fire Nation when I was a little girl. My father and the elders of my tribe have kept me pretty close to home my whole life. They worry if I get in trouble, then our bending style and the entirety of Waterbending in our tribe would be gone for good."

There was silence as Toph thought about this.

"I'm- I'm, uh, sorry about your mom and your tribe. That sounds awful."

"It is. But you know that. Sokka said you ran away from home because of Fire Nation invaders. Is that true?"

"Yeah. We've been pretty... away from the war for the most part. But a group of raiders came in and attacked my par- attacked the home of a nobleman and his family. I was able to get away."

"I bet that was hard for you. But you'll be safe here," Katara said with a sad smile. She bent the water back into her vessel. "Alright. You're all set. Good as new."

Tentatively, Toph sat up and rotated her shoulder. There was no pain, though when she reached to run her fingertips over it, she could feel the new skin.

"That's amazing," Toph muttered.

"Thank you," Katara said. "Some benders can use our bending in unique ways."

"Don't I know it," Toph remarked as she slowly pulled the blankets the rest of the way off of her.

Katara frowned and crossed her arms.

"Given your cocky tone, I assume you think you're one of those benders?" Katara said, raising an eyebrow. "You're from the Earth Kingdom, so I guess you're an Earthbender?"

"I am indeed."

"So you can throw rocks. What's so special about that?"

"Well I'm blind and I use the vibrations in the Earth to walk around without assistance, complete daily activities independently, and beat the best Earthbenders in the world in combat. Basically I can see with my feet."

Katara's eyes widened.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were..." Katara bit her lip.

"Don't worry about it. I was actually going to make a joke about it earlier, but then you told a really sad story so it wasn't appropriate anymore," Toph said with a shrug. "You wouldn't perhaps know when your brother is coming back do you?"

"He should be done soon. In the mean time, I'll go grab some old clothes of mine for you."

Toph nodded. Katara smiled, and left. Toph listened to her leave, and realized there was something strange about her footsteps.

The footsteps, which should have had a crunching thud on the dirt covered ice, instead had a dull thudding... ring?

Toph leaned over and touched the floor again. She dusted some of the dirt out of the way and touched the bare floor.

It wasn't ice. It was metal.

Toph sat up. She wrapped the blanket around her feet and shuffled across the room to where Katara left. She reluctantly pulled one hand from tucked within her armpit and reached out in front of her. Her hand met a metal bar.

She wasn't in someone's house. She was in someone's jail.

"What in the Spirit's name?" Toph grunted as she tried to pull the bar apart. It was hard to touch, as it was so cold her skin threatened to stick to the metal.

Cursing under her breath, she shuffled back to the bed and felt around for anymore blankets. There was a thin sheet which she picked up and wrapped around her shoulders. She rubbed her hands together underneath it, willing her body heat to increase. Carefully, she shuffled back to the metal bars and put two sheet-wrapped hands against two bars.

She rubbed the sheet over the metal bar until it was just warm enough to touch, before dropping the sheet and gripping the bars once more. She pulled as much as could, but it wouldn't budge. She repeated warming the metal as it quickly became cold again.

Gripping the metal bars as tight as she could, she willed them to move. Even one inch would have sufficed, but nothing happened. Frustrated, she slammed a fist against one of the bars.

To her surprise, the bar lit up. She could feel tiny pieces of earth within it. It was unusual; metal had never done anything like this before.

She banged her fist against the bar again (a little lighter as the first time had hurt considerably). The pieces of earth lit up again. Focusing all her strength on the tiny pieces of earth, she pulled against the bar.

She fell backward as she pulled the bar clean off.

"Um... What are you doing?"

Katara stared at the Earthbender sprawled in front of her. Her mouth was slightly agape, and in her arms was a pile of fur lined clothes.

"Uh..."

Toph didn't budge an inch, the iron bar still clutched to her chest.

"We're you trying to break out?" Katara asked as she opened the door of the cell and walked in past Toph.

"I wasn't sure what I was doing to be perfectly honest."

"Well I brought you some new clothes. And boots. I'm sure you probably don't wear shoes that much if you, uh, 'see with your feet', but if you wish to keep doing that, I suggest you put these on," Katara said, setting down the clothes on the floor next to Toph and gently prying one of Toph's hands from the iron bar and setting it on the pile.

"Uhhhhh..." Toph said, still in awe and confusion of her sudden bending invention. "What am I doing in a cell?"

"Technically you are a Water Tribe prisoner."

"...Oh."

"That's it? You're not gonna argue with that?"

"Not with you. You didn't take me prisoner," Toph muttered as she untangled the blanket from her feet and stood up. "But when I see your brother, I'm gonna kill him."

"So he's not in any real danger then, is he?"

Toph's mouth dropped and she raised a finger in what she hoped was Katara's direction. Her mouth worked wordlessly for a moment, her brow furrowed as she worked for a response. Eventually she clsoed her mouth and sighed through her nose.

"I'll give you that one," Toph said, wagging her finger as a smirk crept across her face. "I'll give you that one."

"Can we return to the fact that you just tore a metal bar off the wall with your bare hands?" Katara said. Her back was turned as Toph changed, and she busied herself with folding Toph's bending clothes. "Is metal bending... common in the Earth Kingdom? Or is this a rare occurence?"

"Uh..." Toph considered this as she pulled on her boots. "I don't think it's ever been done before."

"Like ever?"

"Uh, yeah. Like ever."

"So you just invented a subtype of Earthbending... accidentally?"

"Um... yes. I believe I did."

Katara raised her eyebrows.

"I guess you are a pretty special bender after all."

* * *

Sokka tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair.

"I see your point Sokka. But by the rules of our Tribe, if someone is captured amidst a battle-"

"Then they are a Water Tribe prisoner. Yeah dad. I've read our by-laws. But that's not the point. We're allied with the Earth Kingdom. If they were to discover that we took one of their own into custody-" Sokka said.

"Then that would be my problem, not yours," Hakoda answered in his slow, calm voice. "For now she stays in the jail."

"I don't think that would make much of a difference," Katara said as she led Toph by the hand into the tent.

She bowed slightly to her father, before leaning over to Toph and whispering something in her ear. Her eyes grew wide for a moment and then she too bowed sligthly.

"Hello my dear," Hakoda greeted. "What do mean it would not make much of a difference to keep our... guest here in jail?"

Katara crossed her arms and turned her head to Toph.

"Well. Show him."

Toph reached inside the fur-lined jacket Katara had given her and pulled out the iron bar. She held it out. Hakoda frowned as he took the bar from her. He looked from it to Toph and then back to the bar.

"You... broke the jail?"

"Accidentally."

"You accidentally broke the jail?" Hakoda repeated slowly, still holding the bar out in from of him.

There was a pause.

"Yes."

Hakoda looked to Katara for more information, but she just shrugged and shook her head.

"Well," Hakoda began but he stopped. He rubbed a hand on his head as he stared at the iron bar in his hand.

A thought occurred to him.

"Since the jail is out of commission, why don't you spend time with Sokka? He was already negotiating the terms of your release when you came in. Maybe you can spend some time today with him. He'll keep an eye on you and you can assist him with his chores." Both Sokka and Toph's hearts sped up at Hakoda's words. "Sokka? What do you think?"

"Uh... yeah. That would work fine. I can take her out to do the chores with me and that way she won't..." Sokka's voice dropped. "Run off."

"Wonderful. Toph, that's your name yes? You may join Sokka. Go on."

Hakoda waved Toph to the other side of the tent, but she didn't move. His face transformed into one of disappointment and anger before Sokka leapt in between his dad and Toph.

"She can't see. She wasn't disobeying you."

Toph perked up at this.

" He's right. Whatever you were doing, I didn't see it. I'm sorry sir."

Hakoda took a deep breath, his face still resolutely angry.

"Very well. Sokka, take her out to the boat."

It was Sokka's turn to take a deep breath. He nodded to his father, and looped his arm around Toph's. He said nothing, his jaw set, as he led Toph back out of the tent.

Katara watched them go before turning back to her father. His face had softened. In the firelight, Katara thought he looked far older than he was. Shadows danced across his face, making the lines of age stand out.

"Dad, are you okay?" she asked softly. "Sokka said something about yesterday. Something about you listening to Bato's idea to capture her instead of leaving her be. Is that true? Because if so, that doesn't sound like you at all."

Hakoda took a few steps forward, not looking at Katara. He collapsed into the chair. His face was turned away, looking into the fire. A hand rose to his forehead once again. He sighed.

"I do not wish to be questioned about my decisions in battle by the two of you every second that I am here," he said sternly. "The men and I are to leave again soon, and I could stand to have a decent visit home without being pestered about my chiefly duties by my own chidren."

Katara frowned.

"I'm sorry Dad. I just- I just hoped that maybe this whole war thing wouldn't change you like it changed all the other warriors who have fought in it so far. I don't want to lose you." Katara sighed. "And I especially don't want to lose you while you're still alive."

Katara offered one more sad smile in the direction of her father, who didn't look back at her. Setting her jaw much like her brother, she too crossed to exit the tent, but not before a soft whisper was heard from across the room.

"War is hell, my dear. I pray you never have to learn all that that phrase entails."

* * *

"How are ya holding up?" Sokka asked Toph in a falsely cheerful voice as he led her down to the half-frozen bay near the village.

"Well I can't see anything because there's no dirt around and even if there was I have to wear these stupid shows, I'm pretty sure my blood is halfway to frozen by now, and also there's a strong possibility that I'm allergic to whatever this coat is made from. Either that, or your sister hasn't washed it in five years,"

Sokka chuckled but it was half-hearted. Whatever was going on with his dad was bothering him, and even though Toph couldn't see the pained looked on his face, she could hear it in his voice.

"Alright. So my- I mean _our_ first task is to catch our dinner."

"What is there even to eat out here?" Toph said with a derisive snort. "Polar bear dogs?"

"Number 1, ew that's gross and wrong. People keep those as pets. And number 2, what do you eat when your surrounded by water?"

Toph considered this for a moment.

"Fish?"

Sokka smiled and placed a fishing spear in her hand. He took the other hand in his and led her down to the boat docked at the edge of the water. To his surprise, she said nothing as he helped her into the boat, climbed in himself, and pushed off. Even handing her a wooden paddle and asking her to a row a little was an easier task than he expected from her.

"Alright," Sokka announced as he set down his paddle and picked up his spear. "The key to spear fishing is to be very, very quiet. Let the fish come to you and when they're close... WHAM!"

There was a splash as Sokka demonstrated the technique against the water. He turned back to Toph, smiling once again.

She didn't move.

"Well. Go on. You try it, and I'll let you know how you do."

She still didn't move. Sokka frowned.

"Come on Toph. You're supposed to help me."

"Sokka?" Toph asked in a flat voice, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"How am I supposed to stab at fish if I can't see them?"

Sokka stopped, his mouth slightly agape. He thought for a second, and then the look of an idea spread over his face. He snapped his fingers.

"I've got it. I won't put you in charge of stabbing them, but how about you put them out of their misery if they don't die immediately?"

Toph looked disgusted.

"How is that a compromise?"

"They'll end up as Well I've give you a metal knife to use . While we wait for fish, you can practice your metal bendy stuff," Sokka offered. He pulled a small metal pen knife from his pack and handed it to her. "My dad picked it up on a trip to the Earth Kingdom, but I've got my whale bone one so I don't use it much. You can use it if you promise not to stab me in the back with it."

 _The day's still young._

Sokka placed the knife in her hand and then quieted down as he focused on looking for fish. Toph ran her hand carefully over the blade as she leaned back in the boat.

There were characters carved into the metal. Toph ran her fingers over them.

"Alright..." Sokka muttered quietly as he aimed his spear at a fish. "Steady... steady..."

It took all of Toph's might not to yell ' _BOO'_ really loud.

"And... Ha!"

Sokka plunged his spear into the water. However, what he believed was a fish turned out to be a piece of rock shadowed by a nearby piece of ice.

As the spear made contact with the rock, Sokka was thrown backwards into Toph.

"What in the name of the Spirits-"

"Sorry, sorry. I just hit a piece of rock and-"

"You hit a piece of rock?!" Toph said excitedly as she pushed Sokka off of her.

She slid off one of the mittens Katara forced her to wear (' _how are you going to feel things if your hands are frozen?')_ and held out her hand. She inhaled deeply, and a large chunk broke off. She held it aloft and released a sigh like she was reunited with a lost child.

"Oh yeah. Oh I've missed this so much."

"You act like you haven't touched a rock in years. It's been like... two days."

"Hey. When you're a blind Earthbender, you can tell me what it's like not to be around your element for two days. But until then shut up."

With a happy sigh, Toph dropped the rock back into the water. Water splashed high, soaking Sokka, but not before there was a loud _crunch_ from underneath them.

"What was that?"

"I don't know," Sokka replied, peering over the side of the boat.

There was another bigger _crunch._ The earth beneath the water shifted hard, causing their boat to rock back and forth.

"What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything," Toph replied back. She tried to get firm footing to stop the earth from shifting, but the rocking boat made that difficult. She focused on calming the rocks, but they were submerged in water and seperated from her by the wooden boat.

She and Sokka were thrown backwards into the boat as the earth shifted again. Toph grabbed Sokka's arm as the boat was lifted up on a high wave.

The waves moved them forward, the boat rocking back and forth dangerously as the water jostled them around.

After a few minutes, the boat lurched against an island. Sokka and Toph scrambled out as fast as possible. Once on solid ground (though Toph would have begged to differ on that definition), they started forward, Toph's arm linked in Sokka's.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know," Sokka replied. "I don't recognize this place at all."

"Wonderful," Toph muttered.

"What... is that?" Sokka said slowly, frowning. He stared ahead, squinting slightly, at a large round piece of ice ahead of them.

"What's what? What are you talking about?"

"There's an iceberg up ahead. But it's perfectly round."

Toph's head tilted slightly.

"Are they... not usually round?"

"No. They're all jaggedy. Like a big rock but made out of ice," Sokka said, carefully stepping forward, Toph in tow. "Every one of them, except this one. Come on."

Sokka dropped his arm so he could take Toph by the hand. They inched forward.

"It looks like the shifting rock broke it in half. And there's... a person inside..."

"What do you mean 'there's a person inside'? Like... a dead person?" Toph asked cautiously. She didn't normally get scared by things, but something about the idea of finding a dead body struck fear into her heart.

"No. I-I don't think so," Sokka said as he moved them closer. "I can't tell who they are but I think they're still alive. Somehow. And if they are, they must be really strong or a really good bender or something. Because no one survives out in the cold for longer than a few days. And _no one_ could survive inside an iceberg."

Toph took a deep breath as Sokka let go over her hand to climb up the iceberg.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is going to change everything?"

* * *

 **And here we are! I take it if you're reading this, you probably know what happens from here...**

 **Thank you so much for following this story and I sincerely appreciate your feedback and interest in the story! This is where this one ends, but I am doing a prequel in this AU called "A Maid and her Ward" featuring oneshots from Toph's childhood. So if you enjoyed this, I hope you'll follow along with that one too.**

 **Again, thank you so much and I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**


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